But can you believe I’ve never been to a true tailgating party before?

I went to football games all the time in high school. But from what I can remember, we didn’t tailgate before the games. But I was watching an episode of The Gilmore Girls the other day – the episode with the big football game – and all of a sudden, I really wanted to do some tailgating. Funny how we are so easily influenced, right?

Let’s be honest, though. The reason I wanted to have a tailgating party was not for the actual football game. It’s all about the food, right??

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have a gourmet chef and a fancy food like the Gilmore’s had, though. For me, football food is all about the dips and chilis and wings. Throw in some hot dogs or hamburgers, and I think that’s quite the feast. So when the football food cravings hit, I knew I needed to make my kind of football food.

So I took 2 of my favorite things – a cheesy dip and sloppy joes – and combined them into a Sloppy Joe Dip that I couldn’t keep my hands (or my chips) out of.

Now I have to tell you about my new secret weapon in the kitchen. If you’ve ever made anything with tomato paste before, you are surely familiar with only needing a few tablespoons, and then having to transfer the rest to a container to store in the refrigerator. And if you are like me, that container gets lost in the depths of the fridge until you find it months later and it’s definitely not good anymore.

Enter these amazing Recipe Ready Paste pouches from Hunt’s. Each pouch contains 2 tablespoons of tomato paste – the perfect one-recipe size. You wouldn’t even believe how happy I was when I learned about these little packets. Pure genius. I love that they are pre-measured with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste – the most common measurement for recipes. The paste is non-GMO, and comes from the fresh California tomatoes that we know and love from Hunt’s. I love that I am wasting so much less because I’m not throwing away unused product, and saving that space in my refrigerator is a huge plus as well.

And if you are a sloppy joe fan, you will go crazy for this Sloppy Joe Dip on game day. The perfect amount of sweet and savory, and just enough cheesiness to keep you coming back for more. I could seriously eat this for lunch or dinner – not just a pre-game appetizer!!

Next game day, whip up this Sloppy Joe Dip recipe and your tailgating party will be that much better!

Sloppy Joe Dip

Description

Turn a family friendly dinner idea into an appetizer that your friends won’t be able to get enough of! This Sloppy Joe Dip is cheesy and beefy and definitely crowd pleasing.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon steak seasoning (or other all-purpose seasoning mix)

1 can (15 oz) Hunt’s Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 package (2 tablespoons) Hunt’s Recipe Ready Tomato Paste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

3 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese

Corn chips or tortilla chips, for dipping

Instructions

In a large, oven proof skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Add the steak seasoning and stir to combine.

Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Preheat the broiler.

Add the cream cheese and 2 cups of the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the top. Place under the broiler just until the cheese has melted and the dip is bubbling, 3-5 minutes.